Vision of the human being in the Stockholm 72 conference: similarities and differences with Christian anthropology

Why this matters for our shared home

The environmental crisis is often framed as a clash between secular politics and religious belief, but this article suggests a more hopeful story. It looks closely at the first big global environment summit—Stockholm 1972—and compares its view of the human person with that found in recent Catholic teaching, especially the encyclical Laudato Si’. By asking what image of “the human being” underlies both, the authors show that very different traditions can still find common ground for protecting people and planet together.

A turning point for people and planet

The Stockholm 1972 conference was the United Nations’ first major attempt to tackle the relationship between economic growth and environmental protection. Held amid smog disasters, nuclear tests, oil spills, and the rise of peace and civil rights movements, it helped launch modern environmental law and later gatherings from Rio to Paris and the 2030 Agenda. The article digs into this historical backdrop—rapid population growth, Cold War tensions, new media coverage, and the emergence of green activism—to show how they shaped Stockholm’s core message: humans are both the makers and the products of their environment, and they carry a shared responsibility to safeguard it for future generations.

A new way to think about being human

To compare Stockholm with Christian thought, the authors use a “relational” picture of the human person. Instead of viewing individuals in isolation, they focus on four basic relationships: with oneself, with other people and societies, with nature, and with a dimension that reaches beyond the purely material. This four‑part lens has roots in various philosophies and religions, including Catholic social teaching, deep ecology, and interfaith thinkers who stress radical interconnection. Applying the same grid to UN texts and church documents allows the authors to see not just where they differ, but where they unexpectedly align.

Shared values behind different languages

When they examine the Stockholm Declaration and Catholic teaching side by side, the authors find striking overlaps. Both affirm the special value of each human being, stress dignity and basic rights, and insist that freedom comes with responsibility—especially toward the poor and toward future generations. Both call for education, scientific knowledge, and international cooperation, and both link environmental damage with injustice and poverty. Yet the foundations differ: UN texts largely appeal to universal human rights and practical well‑being, while Christian documents root human worth in being created in the image of God and speak of a vocation to care for creation as a gift.

Different paths to caring for nature

Stockholm 72 reflects its time by adopting a strongly human‑centered and often utilitarian view of nature: the environment matters mainly because people need it to live well. Economic development and state sovereignty over natural resources are foregrounded, even as the text warns against pollution and resource depletion. By contrast, recent Catholic teaching proposes a more “situated” human‑centered view: humans are part of nature yet carry a unique responsibility to protect it, and other creatures have worth beyond their usefulness. Where the UN aims for a neutral, widely acceptable language and avoids explicit religious claims, the Church speaks openly of creation, spirituality, and the link between care for the Earth and inner conversion.

Growing together over time

The article also traces how later UN documents moved closer to a fuller relational view. Agenda 21 and the Convention on Biological Diversity, for example, highlight vulnerable groups, women, Indigenous peoples, biodiversity, and climate change—concerns that echo themes in Laudato Si’. Economic tools such as the “polluter pays” principle and emissions trading show a gradual attempt to harness markets for environmental goals. While UN texts continue to bracket explicit talk of God in order to remain inclusive, they increasingly stress interconnectedness, shared responsibility, and the need for a decent environment as part of a good life for all.

What this means for the future

In the end, the authors conclude that Stockholm 72 and Catholic social teaching, despite their different roots, share a large common space built around human dignity, solidarity, justice, peace, and responsibility for the Earth. Some gaps remain—such as the UN’s silence on family and explicit transcendence—but these reflect its role as a meeting place for many beliefs rather than rejection of spiritual concerns. By making the hidden image of the human person explicit in both traditions, the article argues that secular and religious voices can cooperate more deeply. That shared vision of a relational, responsible humanity could be a powerful resource for facing today’s intertwined social and environmental crises.

Citation: Zitto Soria, M., López Rosado, A. & Tatay, J. Vision of the human being in the Stockholm 72 conference: similarities and differences with Christian anthropology. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 13, 459 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06710-5

Keywords: Stockholm 1972, Laudato Si, environmental ethics, Christian social teaching, human dignity